The story so far

On Tuesday 24 July, we started a campaign called Final Say, calling for the people to have the last word on the Brexit deal. The next day, we launched a petition (change.org/finalsay). Just over a week later, 500,000 people had signed the petition, making it the biggest campaign on the history of The Independent, and proving just how much people care. 

Why we launched Final Say

Many readers expected us to campaign along these lines two years ago, after the referendum. But we believed the process should be given a chance. The people had spoken.

But look at the mess we’re in: precious little progress on negotiations, no solution to the Northern Irish border, we’re stockpiling medical supplies, and the governor of the Bank of England feels that the risk of a no-deal Brexit is “uncomfortably high”.

Did anyone want this?

 

Why a referendum?

When we finally know where Brexit has taken us, we believe there should be a referendum to make sure that the reality matches the wishes of people on both sides of the Brexit debate. We stated three reasons. 

1. So much has changed since 2016. We all know so much more. So let’s make this momentous decision on the facts, not the myths (on both sides) that existed two years ago.

2. The public have lost faith in parliament on this issue. We’ve had resignations, rows and party politics, the two biggest parties are divided. The system is not delivering progress and should not be trusted with the final say.

3. The people started this process. Maybe we should never have had a referendum, but we did. We are where we are. It’s only democratic and natural to allow people to state whether this was what they really signed up for.

So here’s what you can do:

1. Sign the petition at change.org/finalsay. After parliament returns from recess on 4 September, we want to take the signatures to Downing Street. How many we have at that moment will inevitably have a huge influence on whether our voice is truly heard. And we need your continuing support to keep sharing the link above.

2. Keep the campaign rolling on social media. Take a picture of yourself holding a sign saying ‘I want a Final Say’, then post it on Twitter, Instagram or Facebook with hashtag #FinalSay, telling us why you want a final say. Whether you’re on a beach or not, you can help the campaign gather momentum.

3. Download the Final Say poster. Visit independent.co.uk/finalsayposter, download the file and print out the poster on A4, A3 or even A2 paper. We took them to a music festival and they went down a storm!

4. Book an appointment with your MP. Because MPs are not in Westminster until 4 September, you should be able to get an appointment with your MP. Tell them how you feel, what issues matter to you, and why you feel this must be a decision for everyone, not just politicians. After all, they work or you. Download the suggested email by clicking here.

5. Send us your ideas. Any other ideas? Send them to finalsay@independent.co.uk